ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
National Human Rights Commission, Bayelsa State Office, has accepted the report of the panel set up last month by the state government to unravel the cause of the death of one Mr Samuel Okoba from Ovom community in Yenagoa area of the state.
The state NHRC boss, Mr Eugene Baadom, said the panel’s report had been reviewed and the police were handed a clean bill of health.
He, therefore, called for the prompt release of Okoba’s body for burial.
The report of the panel was presented to the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo in Government House, Yenagoa, during the week by the Vice Chancellor of Bayelsa Medical University and Chairman of the panel, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu.
The report said that the autopsy carried out on Samuel’s body indicated that the 17-year-old youth died as a result of bleeding from a cut on one of the major arteries on his neck.
The report stressed that the injury was not connected with gunshot, thereby absolving the police of complicity in the death of Okoba, which was contrary to earlier reports and speculations that greeted the March 18, 2021 incident.
Etebu explained that the process was transparent as representatives comprising the deceased’s family, Ovom community, government, the police and human rights organisations witnessed all aspects of the autopsy.
He stated: “There is bleeding into the soft tissue of the left side of the neck beneath a transverse laceration.The reason is because the laceration cut one of the major vessels on the neck and he started bleeding outside.
“Because we were dealing with a probable gunshot wound, we did an X-ray of the whole bones of the body. But we did not see any metal in the bones. In conclusion, the anatomical findings showed he was severely pale. The cause of the death from what we found is that he bled to death from the cut into a major vessel.”
Senator Ewhrudjakpo had expressed sadness over the unfortunate passing of young Okoba, noting that government deliberately insisted on the involvement of all parties for truth and justice to prevail.
Ewhrudjakpo, who appreciated the Okoba family and Ovom community for their show of what he described as rational understanding, promised that government would look into their requests including the release of the corpse for burial.
Recall that the deceased had on March 18, 2021 on sighting policemen that stormed the hideout of robbery suspects climbed the ceiling and jumped out in a bid to escape.
He was said to be subsequently injured on the neck and was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa where he was certified dead by a doctor.
A locally made pistol was allegedly recovered in the ceiling of the building.